Relaxing in Fiji Resort Luxury

Fiji offers a land of contrast, from traditional villages to luxury resorts, and Su Lee from Flight Centre Karangahape Road shares her experiences in Denerau.

We began our Fiji holidays with a Nadi faces and places tour, for which we were picked up by Pacific Destinationz at Denarau for a 4-hour tour around the main Nadi attractions. Our tour guide was very good and kept us entertained throughout the whole tour.

We started with a drive to the local village, where we were explained some facts about the layout of the village and local customs, as well as had the chance to shop in a small market they set up for tourists in front of the village. The village was quite modern and had lots of beautiful local children out playing.

After this we went to the garden of sleeping giant, which is a big park with lots of orchids and other plants with a loop boardwalk, followed by a visit to a Hindu temple before finishing at the local food market.

For travellers wanting to stay in an island resort with all the trimmings, my top picks in Denerau would be:

Sheraton Fiji

This family oriented Fiji resort has been in operation since 1987, sure to keep all members of the family occupied with a complimentary kids club and a lagoon-style kids pool. Nanny services are also available for an additional charge. There is a great selection of restaurants, including Flying Fish, Feast (buffet-style) and Pantry (deli-style).

Guests can also enjoy the private Akula Island, which is exclusive to the resort and just a short boat ride away (boats depart every hour). The island is good for swimming and snorkelling. There are no restaurants or shops, but guests can take picnic packs to munch on while relaxing in the sun.

The accommodation is across 2 levels, all of which have king beds and either a small patio or balcony outside with chairs to enjoy the sunlight.

If you get carried away with the romance of the islands, there's a beautiful seaside chapel on site, as well as 2 full time wedding coordinators to help plan everything.

For families wanting even more space, or just couples wanting to stay in style, the Sheraton Villas are great for self catering. There are either 2 or 3 bedroom villas, all of which feature the super comfortable Heavenly Beds. Also available is the famous Heavenly Spa, with 10 treatment rooms, lap pool, gym and jacuzzi.

Fiji beach resort and spa managed by Hilton

This beautiful property was my favourite in Denarau. It has a more mature feel but with great facilities for kids as well, including a free kids club and a kids pool. If this wasn't enough, guests can also hire Playstations and games at reception for the kids. The leisure facilities on site include an award-winning spa, several pools and a restaurant.

The ground floor Deluxe Rooms have shared access to a plunge pool, and the 3 bedroom Deluxe Rooms have their own private plunge pool.

Sonaisali resort

Located 20 minutes from Nadi, this is separated from the mainland by a 5 minute boat ride. The accommodation is spread out in a wide area,with good facilities on offer such as WiFi in the lobby, a 24 hour pool with swim up pool bar, shop, day spa and hair salon. There are a range of room categories, from beachfront rooms to ocean view bures.

Every tastebud and palate is catered for in the wealth of dining options available. There is a grill restaurant by the bar, sunset restaurant and also a more formal adult-only restaurant where we had a beautiful fine dining experience. There is also the Zero bar, situated away from the rooms and very lively at night.

One evening we booked on their sunset cruise, which was a great experience with fantastic views and entertainment, all washed down with drinks and canapés.